Canadian ministers to talk tariffs with Trump aides in Florida | International Trade News [Video]

The Canadian ministers of finance and foreign affairs are set to hold talks in the US state of Florida with aides to Donald Trump, as the incoming United States president’s threat of hitting Canada with steep tariffs looms large.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc travelled to Palm Beach, Florida, for discussions on Friday about the effects tariffs would have on both countries.

Late last month, Trump threatened to slap 25-percent tariffs on all Canadian goods if the US’s northern neighbour did not do more to stem the flow of illegal drugs and irregular migration over its border.

LeBlanc’s office said in a statement on Thursday that the Canadian ministers would highlight “the negative impacts that the imposition of 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods would have on both Canada and the United States”.

Friday’s meeting will also focus on Canada’s efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal migration, the office added.

It was not immediately clear which Trump advisers …